


Spring Awakes Eternally

by bakuda



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Everyone shows up eventually, Gen, M/M, More Ships to come, self indulgent gen stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 10:25:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12839211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bakuda/pseuds/bakuda
Summary: Akechi’s one of the top students at Shujin Academy, and Akira’s an unlucky kid that moved to Tokyo on probation. They don’t know what personas are, or how to run a gardening club, but they’ll try anyway.





	Spring Awakes Eternally

When the transfer student showed up with more than a few bad rumors trailing behind him, Akechi swore that he wouldn’t get involved with the new unsavory student.

He had his _own_ reputation to take care of.

The third year student worked his way up--from nothing to something--to be at the top of the school, transforming himself into something to be adored, something to aspire to: the cute boy with his own secret fanclub, the straight-A student, that one student council member who was actually approachable. So he, as well as the rest of the school, knew all that his carefully groomed image would end up in flames if he started talking to the local delinquent.

So he pretended to know nothing about it. He was just a transfer student. Life was the same as it ever was, even with a new face at school.

He heard the occasional “did you hear about that new kid?” from rumormongers and nosy people. But all he could say was the little he’s heard from others, or admit he doesn’t know anything. He purposely avoided anything related to the transfer student so he could keep from easily avoid being associated with him, keeping his hands clean of the matter.

Akechi didn’t even know his _name_.

At first, it was easy to avoid him, but talk of the transfer student spread more and more until he was the subject of every conversation he had with others. Now it seemed unavoidable. He’d unwillingly heard more than what he wanted to hear about him.

Akechi knew that it would all be old news at some point. Though he can’t help but notice some of them were… wild, to say the least.

_“Did you know he smokes after school?” “He’s got an illegal stash, doesn’t he?”_

_“He’s been to jail?!” “Yep, I heard he’s gotten too involved with yakuza.”_

_“I saw him cheat on at least ten girls!” “Seriously? You don’t think they’re doing that?”_

Every story he heard made him more and more skeptical. Sometimes he wondered whether that new transfer student really was such a dangerous criminal, or just a really unlucky sap who happened to piss off someone important on his first day. Besides, he found it hard to believe someone that violent hadn’t been thrown out already.

But he wouldn’t get involved.

\-----

One day, as Akechi passed through the second year’s floor, he spotted a slouching student that managed to fit the descriptions he’d heard around.

Tall, dark and curly hair, a face that screamed,“I’ll kill you!”... Akechi saw all of that, except the latter bit. He thought that the darkened eye circles and a disgruntled frown instead shouted, “I need ten coffees right now.”  

Across the hall, two girls whispered indiscreetly, passing stories they heard about _him_. It made Akechi realize how disgustingly easy it was to eavesdrop on any conversation around the school, so there’s no doubt he picked up on his classmates’ attitude toward him by now. Whether he heard them or not, he seemed to show no indication of it and started to make his way to a classroom.

For a moment, that thought made Akechi’s heart tighten with sympathy. Between the transfer student shuffling against the walls, trying to make himself unseen and the fact that his situation felt all too familiar, he wanted to reach out to him.

He put down his hand, that he subconsciously stretched out.

He couldn’t.

He had his own reputation to think of. And he of all people know what would happen to it if he started talking to someone like that.

So whatever sense of pity Akechi had, he shut it out. It’s just a dumb trend that the masses would soon get bored of-- he didn’t have to get involved.

He turned his back to the transfer student, and up the stairs, passing the third floor to the rooftop.

\-----

Footsteps and voices echoed as Haru made her way through the bustling underground mall. She felt a little out of her element-- it was all too loud and she’d never normally have to go out alone to do shopping-- but she heard she’d find something good at the local flower shop, and she was determined to make it there today. She was expecting just flowers. It’s not like she’d expect to see anything unusual.

Or _anyone_.

So it really came as a surprise to her when she saw the talk of the school at the front of the florist shop. The “dangerous” transfer student that everyone specifically said to avoid at all costs was arranging flowers without a care in the world and with a smile.

She took her place in line and peered over the others to look at him closer. The only reason Haru knew it was him was because of that distinct hair and glasses, traits she only knew he had from word of mouth. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to tell-- his expressions were too soft to curse out anyone, hands arranging flowers too carefully to have been ever in a fist-fight.

Haru knew that he must know a lot about flowers.

The customer in front of her left with a bouquet in hand, and she found herself face-to-face with the florist. He made no indication that he recognized her.

“What can I help you with?”

Haru took a little time to think… a certain person wanted to decorate the rooftop garden, and they decided there’s no better way to do so with flowers. The problem was that Haru knew even less about flowers than fruits and vegetables, and she was fairly certain that they’d wilt under her care. She thought she’d ask him for advice.

“I’m interested in keeping a garden… do you sell seeds here?”

He nodded, with another smile he said “wait here” as he headed to the back of the store. In the meantime, Haru took a look around the store-- there was only one other florist here, an older woman who was busy with a group of customers. Flowers of all sizes and colors seemed to paint the shelves. They all looked like wonderful candidates to decorate the rooftop garden.

He came back, holding a catalogue of available seeds. She looked at them carefully, but something in the back of her mind was telling her to ask him for help… he obviously knew flowers more than Haru did. She started with some small talk.

“Excuse me… but don’t you go to Shujin?”

His eyes lit up a little at the familiar name, a nervous tint to them, and a moment later he turned his head away. “Ah, yeah… but I just moved here.”

The boy touched the back of his neck and Haru thought that he seemed a little nervous. With his reputation, maybe she struck a nerve by pointing it out. There was a small awkward pause before she realized that the conversation wasn’t going to go anywhere unless she said something.

“You know, we have a garden on the top of the school. Actually, it’s just myself and one other person… but anyone can drop by if they want to.”

It caught his attention, and he looked up to face her.

“Oh really?”

“Umm, it’s only produce right now… I don’t know a lot about growing flowers,” she answered with a soft laugh. “I’d really appreciate it if you could come over and help me with them. You can get there from the third floor…”

Whatever uncertainties he had washed away with a grin and a warm expression. “Sure.”

She was a little taken aback from the short response, but he looked happy enough. Haru reciprocated with her own smile.

“I’ll see you there!”

She considered asking for his name, but that would mean introducing her own. Maybe later, but she didn’t really want to reveal her Okumura surname right now.

Haru paid for the flower seeds and headed home, her mind full of thoughts of tomorrow. Would he even show up?

She could clearly see that he loved his job, so she wasn’t so worried about that. She was more worried about how well he’d get along with Goro. Haru even wondered why’d _she_ asked him to help her so suddenly.

He had the face of someone kind, but everyone has heard those rumors-- they had to come from somewhere. And even then, just the fact that he’s seen as bad news might cause some conflict…

The only thing she could do was trust that everything would work out fine.

**Author's Note:**

> Beta credit goes to that asshole in the comments


End file.
